Finding the right setting is only part of planning a Christmas party. The food, the atmosphere and the space itself all help make the evening memorable. Among the many Christmas party venues in London, ALBA London offers something a little different: an Amalfi-inspired Italian restaurant with a Japanese dining experience, set at 70 Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, directly opposite Harrods. The festive season at ALBA runs from 9 November to 7 January, and this piece is about what happens once you have booked: what the table eats, course by course, what can be added to it, which room a party of your size gets, and what the evening looks like. For the case for Knightsbridge itself, and what to look for when comparing spaces, our guide to Christmas party venues in Knightsbridge covers that ground.
The Festive Menus, Course by Course
Throughout the festive season, ALBA offers two set menus: a three-course and a four-course option, available for group bookings of eight guests or more. Whether you are bringing together colleagues, friends or family, both menus offer a choice of dishes designed for a celebratory meal. Bread and grissini are served to begin, while smaller tables can enjoy the festive à la carte menu, available throughout the season for those who prefer to choose each course individually.
The three-course menu opens with a choice of Beef Carpaccio with black truffle, Grana Padano, artichoke and aioli; a Catalana-style seafood salad; aubergine parmigiana; or roasted squash with goat's cheese, hazelnut crumble and vinaigrette. The mains are a seafood risotto of mussels, clams, prawns and squid; tagliatelle with black truffle; braised beef cheeks with mashed potatoes and jus; or sea bass with Romanesco broccoli, baby potatoes and parsley sauce. Dessert is the ALBA Panettone with mascarpone cream, a tiramisu, or a selection of gelato.
The four-course menu starts with scallops on celeriac purée with a pancetta crumble, the same Beef Carpaccio, or an artichoke and Parmesan flan with truffle cream. Then a pasta course, which is where the Amalfi Coast shows: chestnut tagliatelle with lamb ragù and sweet chard; pumpkin ravioli with amaretto, sage and butter; or tagliolini with Mazara prawns. The mains are a guinea fowl ballotine with wild mushroom, baby vegetables and jus; the sea bass; or lobster tail with glazed heritage carrot, cauliflower purée and bisque. To finish, a coconut Grand Gelato, pandoro with zabaione cream, or the tiramisu.
Both menus carry vegetarian dishes at every course, and the Italian menu is cooked with halal-certified products, so a mixed table eats from the same menu. Dietary requirements and allergies can be given when you book.
Adding a Little Sparkle
For those looking to make the evening a little more memorable, ALBA offers six special additions that can be arranged with either festive set menu. Some bring a touch of theatre to the table, while others are made for sharing. The whole tuna cutting experience sees the fish prepared in front of your guests, while a traditional struffoli tower, made from small fried dough balls coated in honey, makes a striking Italian Christmas centrepiece. There is also a sharing tiramisu, assembled at the table, and a tower of profiteroles that makes a rather convincing edible Christmas tree. For something more savoury, ALBA's signature tagliatelle can be tossed tableside in a whole Pecorino cheese wheel. A caviar and Champagne station offers another way to begin the evening, welcoming guests as they arrive, before anyone has taken their seat. These additions can be discussed and arranged at the time of booking.
The Drinks
The cellar behind the dining room is deep in the Italian regions, with French bottles alongside; our piece on ALBA's wine cellar sets it out, and for a large table it is worth settling the wine when you book rather than on the night. Cocktails come from the bar, and there are non-alcoholic options for anyone in the party who is not drinking.
The Room Your Party Gets
ALBA's spaces run in tiers, and the tier decides the shape of the evening. For up to ten there is the Cabina del Capitano, the private dining room: one oval table, a door that closes, and a view towards the Harrods façade after dark, which in December is the best-dressed wall in London. It suits a leadership dinner, a small team or a family at one table. The Harrods-view table takes up to fourteen in the main room, looking straight across Brompton Road at the store. Semi-private sections take fifteen to fifty-five, with their own dedicated space and the energy of the main room alongside. And for the whole company, full hire runs to a hundred and ten seated or a hundred and fifty for a standing reception, with the room, the bar and the pass given over to one party. For a party of up to ten that would rather eat Japanese, the ten-seat omakase counter runs Tuesday to Sunday, dinner only, with its own chef-led menus. The private dining in Knightsbridge page sets out each space.
The Shape of the Evening
Guests rarely arrive together in December, so the early part of the evening tends to be Aperitivo Hour, which runs every day from 3pm to 7pm, with the window tables facing the Harrods lights. For groups of eight or more the set menu is chosen in advance, which lets the kitchen pace a large table and plan around dietary needs. If there are speeches, the gap before the main course is the usual place for them, and a finish time agreed in advance helps the evening end on your terms. Dinner runs until 11:30pm Monday to Thursday, until midnight on Friday and Saturday, and until 10:30pm on Sunday. For the planner's version of all this, our guide to planning a corporate Christmas party in London has the checklist.
Getting Everyone There
Knightsbridge station is a minute away on the Piccadilly line, which brings guests in from Heathrow, King's Cross and the City on one train, and Hyde Park Corner, Victoria and South Kensington are all within a short walk. The hotels of Knightsbridge and Belgravia are on the doorstep for anyone staying over. The entrance is on the ground floor of 70 Brompton Road, through YDF Interiors, with a staircase at the back and a lift beside it; the restaurant is on the first floor, opposite Harrods. The walk from the station takes in the Harrods lights, and our festive guide to Knightsbridge has the rest of the season's decorations and dates for anyone making an evening of it.
Booking a Christmas Party at ALBA
Groups of eight or more enquire through Christmas bookings at ALBA with the date, the headcount and any dietary requirements, and the events team comes back with the spaces available and the set menus. Smaller tables book online and order from the festive à la carte. December dates go quickly, and the larger spaces go with them, because a semi-private section or a full hire can only be sold once an evening, so the earlier the enquiry the better. ALBA is at 70 Brompton Road, London SW3 1ER; the events team is on +44 (0)20 3985 4992.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is on the Christmas party menu at ALBA?
Two festive set menus, three courses or four, for groups of eight or more, running from 9 November to 7 January: starters such as Beef Carpaccio with black truffle and scallops with celeriac purée; a pasta course on the four-course menu; mains from seafood risotto and braised beef cheeks to sea bass, guinea fowl and lobster tail; and desserts including the ALBA Panettone and tiramisu. A festive à la carte runs alongside for smaller tables.
How many people can a Christmas party at ALBA be?
Up to ten in the private dining room, up to fourteen at the Harrods-view table, fifteen to fifty-five in a semi-private section, and a hundred and ten seated or a hundred and fifty standing for full hire.
Can we add something special to the party?
Yes. Six additions can be arranged with either festive set menu: a whole tuna cutting, a struffoli tower, a sharing tiramisu, a profiterole tower, the Pecorino cheese wheel with ALBA's tagliatelle, and a caviar and Champagne station.
Is there a Japanese option for a Christmas party at ALBA?
Yes. Alongside the Italian dining room, ALBA has a Japanese à la carte and a ten-seat omakase counter, both Tuesday to Sunday, led by Japanese Head Chef Takuya Kaneko.
Do we have to pre-order for a Christmas party?
For groups of eight or more the set menu is chosen in advance, and dietary requirements can be given at the same time.
How do we book a Christmas party venue in London at ALBA?
Groups of eight or more use the Christmas bookings enquiry form; smaller tables book online. ALBA is at 70 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, directly opposite Harrods and a minute from Knightsbridge station.
